Cebu, a rich cultural and natural heritage haven, attracts tourists who are endlessly fascinated with what a foreigner described as “achingly beautiful” sceneries and resources. Unfortunately, we, as hosts and stewards, have taken them for granted.The Philippines is one of the 17 mega-biodiversity countries in the world which host two thirds of the world’s flora and fauna. A 2005 study reveals that Central Philippines is, in fact, “the center of the center of marine biodiversity” in the world, having the richest concentration of marine life on the entire planet. The report is based on a 10-year multi-disciplinary study conducted for the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) that involved 101 of the world’s leading authorities on marine life, and produced 2,983 maps of marine species for the western Pacific Ocean. Dr. Kent Carpenter, a world-renowned scientist, married to a Filipina, and a UP Cebu Centennial Lecturer in 2007, led that study. The sad part, however, is that we have earned the dubious distinction of being branded as the “hottest of the hot spots” in terms of biodiversity loss and habitat destruction. We humans are “so intelligent, yet so destructive,” as my green hero, Dr. Jane Goodall, reminds all. Pwerteng kabadlungon nato. We destroy the beautiful gifts from nature, as if it is inexhaustible. Are we then not eco-truants or, should I say, “eco-terrorists,” considered sinners by the Vatican? Recent headlines banner a looming rice crisis. Guess what? Our fishery is also in a state of crisis and has been so for quite some time. Studies show that the “Visayan Sea, once considered as the Alaska of the Philippines because of its bountiful harvests of marine fishes, is now a poor replica of its old self” (Garcia, Luis Maria. The Visayan Sea Saga: A Fishery in Crisis). The root cause is the open season (or “free for all”) in commercial fishing. Despite the requirement by the Fisheries Code of 1998 of a determination of the maximum sustainable yield before licenses are issued, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has not come up with one – yet hundreds of licenses have been issued by said agency. Except in certain cases, protection of environment is a devolved service of the local government units under the Local Government Code of 1991. But, how many local government units allocated substantial resources for environmental programs and set up the mandatory institution for people’s participation, such as, the local development councils? Hats off to barangay Luz of Cebu City as the shining example of genuine participatory and accountable governance; its trailblazing solid waste management program has improved the quality of life of the people and our environment. It is lamentable that public funds are readily spent on grandiose projects, and for unnecessary trips of officials to foreign countries, but not on the basic elements of life – water, air, land, sanitation, biodiversity and, yes, well-managed population policy. LGUs can be held accountable for misuse of these funds. Section 17 of the Local Government Code clearly provides that that the “fund or resources available for the use of local government units shall be first allocated for the provision of basic services or facilities… before applying the same for other purposes…” Recent reports listed the Philippines as the 38th carbon-emitting country in the world, thus a major contributor of polluting greenhouse gas (GHG), which heats our planet. Yet, not a single LGU in Metro Cebu has brought equipment to monitor the quality of our air. As the policy making body in air quality management required to be established under Section 9 of the Clean Air Act of 1999, the Metro Cebu Air Shed Management Board is still a figment in the imagination of DENR. A well-coordinated adaptation and mitigating strategies on climate change will never be in place until this important Board is constituted. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter recently passed a resolution en masse requesting the immediate activation of the Board. A suit to compel its operation is certainly not a remote option for citizens who care about the quality of the air we breathe. As if these developments are not alarming enough, the biodiversity rich Visayan sea and the outlying waterways, such as the unique natural heritage called Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, are not spared as target for an ecologically destructive activity – drilling for gas and oil, and absent a genuine consultation with all sectors. It certainly defies logic that this project is encouraged at this time by our environmental guardians, the executive branch of government, when climate change, a global crisis, has required countries and responsible citizens to reduce their green house gas emissions. Oil produces carbon dioxide, a polluting GHG. Why is Tañon Strait Protected Seascape important? It is not just a rich fishing ground for us, fish-eating Filipinos. It is a breeding and resting area and migratory path of 14 of the 27 species of whales and dolphins in the country, and a “high priority conservation area,” as per the Final Report of the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priorities in 2002 spearheaded by the DENR and involving 300 scientists. We committed to protect them under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act and International Conventions for Biological Diversity and Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals which acknowledges them as “irreplaceable part of the earth’s natural system which must be conserved for the good of mankind.” The brewing Tañon strait saga is a reflection of how the sovereign people have allowed government to exercise vast powers without accountability. Unsustainable practices and lack of political will to enforce the various laws are wrecking havoc on this already ecologically threatened island. Will we just meekly accept the continuous disregard of the mandate to protect our environment and our rights to life, under the Constitution, the national laws, international conventions, even carefully studied biodiversity conservation plans, to the detriment of the constituents, humans and non-humans alike? Cebu needs to wake up from its deep sleep and learn the painful lessons of Boracay and other places that went overboard in testing the carrying capacity of its ecosystem. One thing is clear – we cannot leave environmental governance to government alone. It is everyone’s business to be engaged stakeholders. The ecological time bomb is furiously ticking. It is time to wake up and act. |
